2020 Election Alabama Ballot Access A Roadmap for Independent Candidates by the Office of the Alabama Secretary of State
Introduction Candidates who choose to not run as a political party candidate may obtain ballot access by submitting a petition to the Secretary of State, if seeking a state or federal office, or to the Judge of Probate, if seeking a county office. There is no qualifying fee.
1 Step By Step…
Federal Offices Follow the Federal Elections Submit petition Commission filing deadlines - Contact the Alabama Secretary of State’s - Federal candidates must follow reporting Elections Division at (334)-242-7210 for the guidelines and deadlines administered by the required number of signatures FEC at www.fec.gov or 1-(800)-424-9530.
Statewide Offices File Statement File campaign Submit File Appointment of of Economic finance disclosure Principal Campaign petition Committee Form Interests reports - Must contain at least - File with Alabama - File with Alabama - Once you raise or spend 51,588 signatures of Ethics Commission Secretary of State here more than $1,000, then registered voters in the (www.ethics.alabama within 5 days of you must begin filing State of Alabama .gov or (334)-242- submitting petition OR campaign finance - Submit to the Secretary 2997) no more than 5 within 5 days of raising or disclosure reports here of State days after filing your spending more than beginning with the next petition $1,000 scheduled report
State District Offices File Statement File campaign Submit File Appointment of of Economic finance disclosure Principal Campaign petition Committee Form reports Interests - Contact the Alabama - File with Alabama - File with Alabama - Once you raise or spend Secretary of State’s Ethics Commission Secretary of State here more than $1,000, then Elections Division at (www.ethics.alaba within 5 days of you must begin filing (334)-242-7210 for ma.gov or (334)- submitting petition OR campaign finance the required number 242-2997) no more within 5 days of raising or disclosure reports here of signatures than 5 days after spending more than beginning with the next - Submit to Secretary filing your petition $1,000 scheduled report of State
Countywide and County District Offices File Statement File campaign Submit File Appointment of of Economic finance disclosure Principal Campaign petition Committee Form reports Interests - Contact your county’s - File with Alabama - File with Alabama - Once you raise or spend Judge of Probate for Ethics Commission Secretary of State here more than $1,000, then the required number (www.ethics.alaba within 5 days of you must begin filing of signatures ma.gov or (334)- submitting petition OR campaign finance - Submit to Probate 242-2997) no more within 5 days of raising or disclosure reports here Judge than 5 days after spending more than beginning with the next filing your petition $1,000 scheduled report
2 Deadlines For independent candidate ballot access in the 2020 General Election, the petition must be filed no later than March 3, 2020. For independent presidential candidate ballot access in the 2020 General Election, the petition must be filed no later than August 13, 2020. For ballot access in special elections, please contact the Secretary of State or the Judge of Probate for the petition deadline.
Petition Requirements 3 • A statement at the top of the petition that includes the name of the independent candidate, the date of the election, the type of election (e.g., general election or special general election), the name of the political subdivision for which ballot access is sought (such as statewide, county name, or district or place number), and the name of the office sought (including district or place number). Petitions for the establishment of independent candidacy in a special election shall not be required to include the date of the special election at the top of each page. • Numbered pages. • Requested information for each person signing which includes name, residential address, date of birth and signature. A signature shall not be deemed invalid for lacking any portion of the requested information if the disclosed information is sufficient for determining the validity of a signature. [Alabama Administrative Code, Rule 820-2-4-.05(1), (3)]
Petition Suggestions 4 • For the best chance of petition signatures being legible and counted, we highly suggest using this sample petition form produced by the Office of The Alabama Secretary of State at www.sos.alabama.gov/elections. • Have the voter sign in ink and write legibly. • Keep a copy of the petition.
Number of signatures 5 • The number of valid signatures on the petition must equal or exceed at least three percent of the qualified electors who cast ballots for the Office of Governor in the last general election in the political jurisdiction for which the independent candidate is seeking ballot access: statewide, countywide, or district. • We recommend obtaining signatures in excess of the required number, as some signatures may not be valid and/or identifiable.
Petition Filing Locations 6 • Petitions for state and federal offices must be filed in the Elections Division of the Office of Secretary of State, located in the State Capitol, Room E-208, Dexter Avenue, in Montgomery, Alabama. • Mailing address: Elections Division Office of the Secretary of State P.O. Box 5616 Montgomery, Alabama 36103-5616 • Address for hand-delivery: Office of the Secretary of State Alabama State Capitol, Suite E-206 600 Dexter Avenue Montgomery, Alabama 36130 • Petitions for county offices must be filed in the office of the county Judge of Probate.
For more information… Please visit our website at AlabamaVotes.gov.
Questions? • Please call: • The Alabama Secretary of State’s Elections Division • 334-242-7210 • Or your local probate judge’s office: • https://www.sos.alabama.gov/city-county- lookup/probate-judges *This presentation document is intended to be a quick-reference guide for independent candidates seeking ballot access in Alabama and is not a substitute for the Code of Alabama or any other lawful entity. For further information, please consult the Code of Alabama or contact the Alabama Secretary of State’s Elections Division.
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